Fonacab boss says taxi fares must rise to attract drivershttps://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/busi ... 61981.htmlInfrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon’s consultation on taxi fares will not be enough to rectify a shortage in drivers, Ireland’s largest taxi firm owner has said.
William McCausland, who runs FonaCab, said the consultation is akin to “skimming over massive cracks in a wall and doesn’t address the real problem which is a shortage of drivers” .
The consultation on taxi fares was launched on Friday by the Department for Infrastructure to address the hard-hit taxi industry, which has haemorrhaged drivers during the pandemic.
Mr McCausland has lost a third of his workers as a result. Much of that loss is down to an ageing workforce and retirement, coupled with no pipeline of future drivers.
The Department for Infrastructure has now launched the targeted consultation on a taxi fare review as part of its ongoing plans to assist the taxi industry as ‘“they rebuild following the Covid restrictions”.
Ms Mallon said: “Throughout the pandemic I have engaged regularly with the taxi sector and acknowledged the pressures that they have been under. I provided £16.7million of support to existing drivers from the two financial support schemes and regulatory support that I put in place last year and I remain committed to working with the sector in continuing to monitor the impact of Covid restrictions on them.
“Last week I announced an Action Plan to provide further support to the taxi industry and a key part of that was the intention to consult on taxi fares, as this was a specific concern raised during our engagement with the taxi sector.”
She said once responses to the consultation have been analysed officials will provide a report, with any changes implemented due to take place before the Christmas period.
But Mr McCausland fears that the planned increase on fares will do little to boost taxi driver numbers.
He anticipates an increase of 10p per mile and added: “There is a chronic shortage of drivers and that’s the real problem. There is talk that fares will increase 10p per mile across the board which is not enough to entice drivers into the industry or encourage them to work unsociable hours. That only puts a £10 fare up to approximately £11, it’s not enough to get people to work in the evenings.
“In my opinion there needs to be a 50% increase on weekend night fares. So that would make a £10 fare rise to £15.”
He said that FonaCab has had to refuse over 50% of its weekend night-time calls from the drop in drivers.
Pre-pandemic FonaCab had 1,400 drivers — it now has 900.
He added: “There are three problems facing the industry; one, the entrance into the industry is not fit for purpose and since an exam was introduced it has produced an average pass rate of 20%. Two, drivers also need a bigger reward for working during night-time and weekend evening hours, and three, we are up against Class C drivers, firms who class themselves as limousines and can charge whatever they want.”
Mr McCausland said he would like to discuss further issues facing the sector with Ms Mallon.
He added: “We deserve to be spoken to. Minister Mallon now needs to now look at other things to rectify the issue. We’re not asking for anything difficult or outrageous.”
Login
Register
FAQ
